I made my own "Ablon" guide for the film leader. The silly sellers on ebay post up life size pictures of the tool, so you can copy the dimensions from and make your own instead of mortgaging the house to buy a genuine article! I made mine from sheet metal and it works a treat. Trimming is just with a blade.
I have never shot a Leica but have held.one in my hands, it was like sex! However I took to long to make up.my mind and lost the opportunity to own one. I would think that Revlon cuticle scissors would be ideal for trimming the leader on film prior to loading the Leica. Leicas film leader cutting template looks like a very valuable tool that would save time when loading the Leica. I do recomend sanding the edges of the film after cutting it followed by a cotton ball with isopropyl alcohol to remove film saw dust from sanding the leader. Im merely brainstorming and this may not be practical for photographers in a hurry. But if I had a Leica that's how I would do it, I think. I love Leicas I think they are almost timeless.
Bravo! Youve inflamed my passion for an early Leica or Fed or Zorchi camera. In particular I like that they don't require new light seals every couple.years. that is what entrances me so and the fact that you can fit them in your shirt pocket!😅
Thank you for making such a video. I found one of these cameras between the stuff of my uncle, together with its leather case. I believe it to be a russian copy or a copy anyway with a 'Kriegsmarine' fake symbol.. It looks like it's perfectly operational. Leitz Elmar lens. The metal part is chromed and shiny and the core is made of a beautiful dark wood. I've never been into analogue machines and this will be my first try! :D
I've shot about ten rolls on my f3 but I can't for the life of me figure out how to set the frame counter accurately. You have given me great advice before, so I figured you may know. I love my f3 though it ain't easy to use. When it all comes together, it's a magical delight. You have been my only source of info, and I appreciate your ongoing enthusiasm and effort. Thanks
Hi there, and thanks for watching. On my Fed 3, I reset the counter by simply turning it to '0' after film loading. Do you have the early or later version?
A most useful presentation, particularly with regard to film loading, which can be trialsome. I use a iiif with a 35mm wide angle lens and a viewfinder. Decades ago there was a bracket that one could clip into the cold shoe of the camera's top plate. This bracket allowed the photographer to mount a viewfinder and a small light meter side by side. I am looking for one.❤
Another excellent and informative video. I have a fed 1 with the elmar copy. Having watched your superb videos I will have to get my old cameras out of the cupboard and start using them again. I have not used them for ages. As I told you in a previous video I used to use Kodachrome 64 but will now have to try another film. I like the xp2 film which I use on my medium format mamiya 330 tlr.
Hi from Mexico! I have been eyeballing a Leica iii for a while now on auction sites. I will buy one soon! They are a work of art I think, and a pleasure to use! + the picture quality is very good!! Simplicity! Thanks for your step-by-step on how to use one! You're one of the first to give an actual view of the rangefinder while focusing!! Question: how do you know which aperature and other settings to use??
You have to measure the light using a light meter, which will give you the right settings for the lighting conditions. Once you get some practice, you'll be able to gauge the light by eye, but metering is always more accurate.
Nice upload, you mentioned the 'English leica' and by pure coincidence I have purchased one today the 25th. The Reid, by Reid & Sigrist, of Leicester, who manufactured aircraft instruments have a most interesting history and well worth 'Googling' probably the only copies that are considered to be better made than the leica and were actually more expensive! I collect and use Leicas and the above is for my 70th birthday which isn't until next January! really enjoy your laid back approach and hope, one day, to do a vlog about my own collection. Cheers.
Thanks for your kind remarks, glad you liked the video! The Reid is a very nice camera indeed - I've never handled one, or even seen one in the flesh but their reputation goes before them, you must be very happy with it. I'd be interested to know how it handles compared to the Leica, how the finish compares, and what the detailed differences are. Happy (early) birthday!
@@zenography7923, well comparing it to the IIIB I have, which the Reid is a copy of, the finish would be a little unfair as the IIIB is older. I will shortly put some film through the Reid but playing about with it it does feel a little tighter but it doesn't appear to have had much use. The satin finish looks really nice but again these Reid's date from the 50s my IIIB is a 1938 model but compared with a later Leica I think the satin finish is a tad better. The handling seems identical even the shutters sound very similar.
Prajem krásny deň, doteraz som nenašiel video v ktorom by autor propagujúci Leica uviedol do obrazu spodné viečko uzáveru kamery,kde na vnútornej strane je ukážka ako upravit film pred založením!!! Toto by spravodlivé toto napraviť.Držím palce v ďalšej práci a propagácie klasickej filmovej fotografie.
Thank you for reminding these wonderful cameras. I have in my collection Leica Standard 1e (serial number 104336) from 1932, but this is a viewfinder camera and unfortunately does not work - it leaks through the shutter. Service repair is to expensive for me, but these cameras in general reach huge prices on the sales portals. My copy is a family souvenir. Greetings from Poland
Keep hold of that Leica, whatever you do! In time you'll find a good repair person who doesn't charge too much. It's one of the defining pieces of 20th century industrial design, and of huge cultural importance. Many thanks for watching!
Oleg from OK Vintage Cameras in Russia is a master camer repairman and will do it a lot cheaper than "Leica" specialists.Check out his website and pricing
I forgot to add that in 2020 I have gone back to my 1967 Photography class, use a light meter in combination with a manual camera; it's a rush to do manual Photography.
When using the range finder does that automatically set the focus on the lens as well or do you have to do that separately on the lens once you've found the correct focus?
hello zenography. really like the two shots at 0:26. what film were you using there and do you think a vintage camera&lens lends itself to that type of image? i've got a k1000 myself and i'm really interested in recreating a similar look the best i can
Hi, both were shot with my old Leica 2, an Industar 22 lens and Fuji Superia 200 film. Using the same film in your k1000 will yield similar images, with pretty much any lens.
Besides the fact that the shutter speed dial actually turns when you advance the film, is it critically important (at risk of damage) to never turn it before cocking the shutter, or is this a specificity of the soviet clones of this design?
To be honest I'm not sure. The Leica instruction manual doesn't mention it that I can see, however I don't usually change shutter speeds before winding just in case, as the mechanism is pretty much identical.
@@zenography7923 Interesting! Turning this dial before winding would be pretty pointless as everything is moving anyway. I know you can risk breaking something inside zorki/fed cameras, but I am very new to the world of these old rangefinders. I find they are incredibly cool. I am waiting on a Zorki 4 to show up, bought from a well known repair shop in eastern Europe (I want to get some hands-on time with a rangefinder camera see how I like the shooting experience) Your videos contains a lot of useful information. Thank you!
The only difference is that the rangefinder has its own separate window; it's not combined with the viewfinder as in later models. Other than that, there's no difference!
Leica made one, though of course it's quite expensive; a quick search of ebay for 'shoe light meter' turns up several, some new electronic ones and a smattering of old one from the film days. I can't recommend one as I haven't tried any of them I'm afraid!
There's still quite a choice of film available, I like Ilford FP4 and Fomapan 400 for black and white; for colour I like Cinestill 50, and plain old Fujicolour 200 is surprisingly good!
A good Barnack Leica body - about £200. A good Zorki or Fed body - £50 to £100. A Leitz Elmar - about £150 to £200. A good Industar 22 - about £60. Hope that helps!
STOP putting background music to videos with *narration* .. it ONLY makes it HARDER to hear what you are saying and is VERY distracting ... EVERYONE STOP DOING THIS.. we are NOT here to listen to music !!
